Coin holder



March 31, 1964 J. w. SHARPE 3,126,897

COIN HOLDER Filed April 26, 1962 1111 II/ V IIIIIIIII'IIIIIIII AIIIIIIIIIIIIII JOHN M j/mepa INV EN TOR.

United States Patent 3,126,897 COIN HOLDER John W. Sharpe, 343 Harrison St., Libertyville, Ill. Filed Apr. 26, 1962, Ser. No. 190,323 3 Claims. (Cl. 133-6) This invention relates to improvements in coin holders.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a novel, simple and inexpensive coin holder which is convenient to use, whose contents are readily visible, and which can be constructed from minimum parts in a manner to assuredly retain the coins until intentional discharge or release thereof is desired.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which is particularly well suited for use in an automobile to provide in handy and ready accessible manner and location coins required for payment of small purchases or payment of road tolls and like purposes.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which can be constructed from synthetic resin material of transparent character to render its contents readily visible, and to provide requisite resilience to provide for normal retention of coins while accommodating flexing for intention discharge as desired without requiring the use of springs or the assembly of moving parts.

Other objects will be apparent from the following specification.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention;

-FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 3, and illustrating the normal position of the parts of the device at the discharge end thereof; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 5 but illustrating the position of the parts with reference to a coin as the coin is being removed from the device.

Referring to the drawing which illustrates one embodiment of the invention, the numeral 16* designates a receptacle, and numeral 12 designates a clip. It will be understood that the clip, while convenient, is not essential and that other anchorage means of conventional character other than a clip may be employed if desired.

The receptacle Ill has a front wall 14, a rear wall 16, and end Walls 18. Vertical partitions 24 are arranged in predetermined spaced relation substantially parallel to each other and to the end walls =18, with the spacing thereof determined by the particular coin to be contained therein. Thus, in the construction shown, coins of three different sizes are accommodated.

The lower portion of the receptacle is preferably tapered as accommodated by tapering of the end walls 18 and the partitions 2t and the provision of an inclined part 22 at the lower end of the back wall 16, extending downwardly and forwardly with its lower free end contacting the lower free end of the front wall 14, as best seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5. The end walls 18 terminate at 24 spaced above the lower end of the container, as illustrated in FIG. 1. The partitions 20 terminate at 26 spaced above the lower end of the container, as illustrated in FIG. 5. Consequently, the lower portions of the front wall 14 and of the inclined part 22 of the rear wall are free and their normal position depends upon the shape-retaining properties of the material of which the same are formed.

3,126,897 Patented Mar. 31, 1964 ice The front wall 14 is notched at 28 substantially centrally of the respective compartments thereof, with said notches preferably spaced laterally from the end walls 18 and the partitions 20, as best illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4.

The lower portion of the inclined lower rear wall part is similarly notched at 30. The respective notches 28 and 30 are preferably of substantially the same width and the same depth and register with one another, with the width in each case preferably of a dimension constituting a substantial proportion of the width of the adjacent compartment. By virtue of this arrangement, narrow portions 32 at the lower end of the front wall, and narrow portions 34 of the lower portion of the rear wall, are the only portions which contact one another, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5, and these parts 32 and 34, while shape-retaining, are possessed of some resilience and flexibility.

The container is preferably shallow, that is, narrower than the coins 3-6 to be received therein, so that the coins are positioned in inclined attitude, as illustrated in FIG. 2, with their lowest portions adjacent the free contacting tips of the parts 32 and 34. The coins are automatically located in this position and in face contact, as seen in FIG. 2, by virtue of the inclination of the lower rear wall portion 22. The depth of the cut-outs 28 and 30 is such that a portion of the lowermost coin projects to a position exposed by said cut-outs, whereby the fingers of the user may enter the cut-outs to grip the lowermost coin and pull the same from the carrier whose coin retaining portions 32 and 3d flex to accommodate withdrawal of the coin, as illustrated in FIG. 6.

The upper portion of the container is preferably partially closed and, for this purpose, a top wall 38 is provided extending from the rear wall 16 into spaced relation to the front wall 14-, with the spacing preferably being greater than the thickness of a coin to accommodate free insertion of a coin through the access opening 40. A downturned flange 42. is preferably provided, which may be of scallop form as illustrated and serves to confine and retain coins in the device if the device is inadvertently upturned.

The container or receptacle is preferably formed of plastic sheet material, although the same may be molded if desired, wholly or in part. It will be understood that when the device is formed of plastic sheet material or of separate parts, the same may be assembled by cementing the parts. The plastic may be any synthetic resin possessing the properties of normal shape retention and resilience so that the lower parts 32 and 34 will possess suflicient strength to retain coins therein under normal conditions in the position and manner illustrated in FIG. 2, and also flexibility to permit a coin to be withdrawn therefrom in the manner illustrated in FIG. 6.

The clip 12 may be formed of plastic material or metal and, as here shown, constitutes a spring clip having a wall portion 44 projecting above the top wall 33, a neck portion 46, and a wall portion 48 terminating in a lip 50 which preferably contacts the rear wall of the receptacle or the lower portion of the Wall 44. The clip may be secured to the receptacle by the use of cement or by the use of mechanical fasteners of the character well understood in the art. The clip will preferably possess sufficient strength and resilience to permit it to serve as a spring clip for the purpose of anchoring the device to a support in a secure manner while accommodating ready removal.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be understood that changes in the construction may be made Within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A coin holder comprising a receptacle having interconnected front, back and end walls and defining a compartment of a width greater than the diameter of [a coin and a depth less than the diameter and greater than the thickness of a coin,

the lower part of said back wall extending obliquely in downwardly converging relation to said front wall in coin-confining relation,

the lower parts of said front and back walls being free of said end Walls and contacting each other and being resilient and normally retaining their shape to confine the lowermost coin of a group of coins positioned obliquely in said compartment in partially lapped relation,

central portions of the free edges of said front and back walls having registering finger-receiving notches.

2. A coin holder comprising a receptacle having interconnected front, back and end walls,

at least one vertical partition connection said front and back walls spaced from said end walls to define a plurality of coin compartments each of a width greater than the diameter of a coin and a depth less than the diameter and greater than the thickness of a com,

said end walls and partitions terminating spaced above the lower edges'of said front and back walls to define compartment openings smaller than a coin,

the lower part of said back wall extending obliquely to and contacting said front wall for retaining a coin in upwardly and rearwardly tilted position,

said front and back walls having finger notches at their lower ends adjacent each coin compartment and being resilient to facilitate separation thereof for manua1 withdrawal of a coin therebetween.

3. A coin holder as defined in claim 1, and a top wall extending forwardly from the upper end of said back Wall and terminating in a downturned flange spaced from said front wall to define a coin slot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 381,677 Culver et al. Apr. 24, 1888 515,525 Jones Feb. 27, 1894 970,097 Nelson Sept. 13, 1910 1,121,815 Eaton et a1 Dec. 22, 1914 1,633,127 Pepe June 21, 1927 2,520,054 Pastorius Aug. 22, 1950 2,650,699 Donovan Sept. 1, 1953 

1. A COIN HOLDER COMPRISING A RECEPTACLE HAVING INTERCONNECTED FRONT, BACK AND END WALLS AND DEFINING A COMPARTMENT OF A WIDTH GREATER THAN THE DIAMETER OF A COIN AND A DEPTH LESS THAN THE DIAMETER AND GREATER THAN THE THICKNESS OF A COIN, THE LOWER PART OF SAID BACK WALL EXTENDING OBLIQUELY IN DOWNWARDLY CONVERGING RELATION TO SAID FRONT WALL IN COIN-CONFINING RELATION, THE LOWER PARTS OF SAID FRONT AND BACK WALLS BEING FREE OF SAID END WALL AND CONTACTING EACH OTHER AND BEING RESILIENT AND NORMALLY RETAINING THEIR SHAPE TO CONFINE THE LOWERMOST COIN OF A GROUP OF COINS POSITIONED OBLIQUELY IN SAID COMPARTMENT IN PARTIALLY LAPPED RELATION, CENTRAL PORTIONS OF THE FREE EDGES OF SAID FRONT AND BACK WALLS HAVING REGISTERING FINGER-RECEIVING NOTCHES. 